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Spirit Worship (Tar)
Most of what was known about the ancient worship practices of the Quill and the Islanders is contained in a letter from Jonas Grant, Shahidi of Radjura to Shahidi Mkuu Shvedrishti, the year 407. Text of letter Beloved and most Holy Authority, By your command I document here what is know of the religions of my former homelands, Tar and the Jeweled Cities. The ascension of the Children of Kina and the ongoing civil war is destroying much of the two ancient belief systems. In your wisdom, I record what is known. The Quill traditionally worshiped spirits of nature. It was a large pantheon, with numerous local and minor spirits as well as larger, global ones. The insular Quill have heard tales of the Lord of Fire but believe him to be a misinterpretation of Brazar, the nature spirit of volcanoes. They primarily worship Atur, the nature spirit of sky and flight, as they believe the souls of dead Quill rise again as birds. The primary center of worship, the Tree called Nighthawk is a vastly important aspect of Quill culture and guarded fiercely. According to legend the Nighthawk is etched with runes representing every single one of the nature spirits in existence, and second to Atur, they are all worshipped equally. Most Quill have a personal deity they particularly identify with, and will usually have their rune tattooed upon their palm, breastbone or another body part that can be seen while wearing clothes and paint. Painting the skin in elaborate patterns and designs expressing one's current personal journey is a revered part of Quill culture and foreigners who keep their skin blank are often mocked as heathens and "babies" who have not experienced anything meaningful enough yet to preserve its memories on their bodies. Paints are never permanent because they should change and shift with the person as they grow. These paints are of great spiritual significance as they signify a bond with nature and the elements. The Quill also believe they are children of fey, and were once wielders of awesome power. They say that over many generations, the ability to harness wild energies was lost, leaving only a strong affinity to nature that human blood could not dilute. The point to their long lifespans as testament to this ancestry. Some believe the body painting is an attempt to harness the energy of the spirits for their use. The line between asking for a spirit to make them, say, faster, and attempting to borrow the speed of a spirit for a while is a significant point of discussion amongst Quill scholars. The Quill of the Atur faith believe that when a person dies, thier spirit becomes a bird. As such, they typically leave bodies on raised platforms for the birds to eat. The head is removed and dessicated, then kept by the family as a home for friendly spirits. They often refer to the spirits as a Bob, though the reasons behind such a name are forgotten. The body iseither buried or placed into the river. The people of the Free Cities are a superstitious group. They live at the mercy of the winds and tides, and see the raw power of the earth in their volcano. For a long time, the Shamans of the Wild and their teachings were the dominant religion. As such, they pray to the spirits of the earth, the air, and the water. Such prayers are most commonly offered at the spirit poles- large logs carved in the shape of the spirit they represent. Small offerings are left there by worshippers. The Shamans of the Wild travel freely around the islands, offering their services to appease the spirits and maintaining the spirit poles. The trees on the Isle of Birds are used to make the spirit poles, and jealously guarded. Birds themselves are venerated as embodying air, water, and earth. The Lord of Fire is known, and the active volcano on New Boy and the caldera of the Old Man are seen as evidence of his influence on earth. Still, he is not formally worshipped. The Shamans would craft tests to insure their influence and check the resolve of various captains and leaders. Given names like the Test of Courage, the Test of Faith, and the Test of Fortitude. Some examples were walking on hot coals, taking leaping dives off of cliffs, swimming and diving contests , and so on. The ease or difficulty of the test would often serve as an indication of how that particular group viewed the Captains actions. Shaman’s themselves will abandon their family lineage and name, taking a false name that is given by the shaman assembly to identify how they act. They are usually simple names, like Whisper, or Feather, or Stormbringer. Being able to see signs and portents in events is critical to their intercessions with the spirits. The Islanders who follow the Shamans of the Wild believe in burial at sea for the dead. They wrap the body in linen and line it with a bunch of weights before sending it down to the depths. Wealthier Islanders will commission a special commorative spirit pole as a memorial. These are often set on the shore to look out to where the body lay, to watch over it. Category:Correspondence Category:Unorganised Religions